Month of Rajab: Names and Merits

Month of Rajab: Names and Merits

Sheikh Atiyyah Saqr

There are some months as well as some places that have more worth in Almighty Allah's sight than others. But the merit of a certain place or time in Islam is established only through authentic proofs. Hence, on quoting a certain Hadith, one is to make sure of its authenticity so that no false Hadiths are reported to have been said by the Prophet (ﷺ).

Many of the Hadiths reported about the merits of Rajab are either weak or fabricated. However, we should remember that there are many important events in the Islamic history that took place in the month of Rajab, such as the Noble Prophet’s Night Journey and Ascension (lsraa and Mi’raj), the Battle of Tabuk and the ligeration of Al-Aqsa Mosque from the crusaders at the hands of Salah Ad-Din Al-Ayyubi. Muslims should recall these great victories and derive lesson from them.

Al-Hafidh lbn Ali lbn Muhammad lbn Hajar Al-Asqalani, an eminent scholar, wrote a detailed study entitled “Tabyeen AI-Ajab Bima Warada Fi Fadl Rajab.” Ibn Hajar included in this study almost all the Hadiths reported about the merit of Rajab and the rewards to be earned by observing fast and optional prayer during it, classifying these Hadiths into either weak or fabricated ones.

He also mentioned that Rajab has 18 names, the most famous of which are in the following: AI-Asamm (deaf month) It was called so because no battle of weapons was heard during it, and Rajab being one of the sacred months in which fighting is prohibited. It was also called Al-Asabb (poured-in month), because (it was believed that) mercy is poured on people during it.

It was also called ‘the Iron Remover. In this regard it was reported that Abu Raja’ Al-Utaridi said, “We used to worship stones (before Islam). But when we found a better stone than the first one, we would throw the first one and take the latter. If we could not get a stone then we would collect some earth (soil), then bring a sheep and milk that sheep over it, and perform Tawaf around it. When the month of Rajab came, we used (to stop the military actions), calling this month the iron remover, for we used to remove and throw away the iron parts of every spear and arrow during it.” (Al-Bukhari)

The merit of Rajab is like the merit of the rest of the other sacred months. Almighty Allah says: Verily, the number of months with Allah is twelve months (in a year). So was it ordained by AI/ah on the day when He created the heavens and the earth, of them four are Sacred (i.e. the 1st, the 7th, the 11th and the 12th months of the Islamic ca/endar).” (Qur'an, 9:36)

The names of these sacred months are mentioned in an authentic Hadith of the Prophet (ﷺ) in the Farewell Pilgrimage. According to this Hadith, the sacred months are four, three in succession that is, Dhul-Qa’dah, Dhul-Hijjah, and Muharram - and the fourth is Rajab, which comes between Jumada Al-Aakhirah and Sha’ban.

According to the above verse, Almighty Allah has ordered Muslims not to wrong themselves (or others), especially in these sacred months. So no fighting between tribes was to be waged during these months, so that people would guarantee that the way to Sacred House remains safe. Another manifestation of not wronging oneself in the sacred months is to avoid committing sins or wronging others.

Muslims should, rather, remember the important events that took place in the history of Islam during this month, such as the Prophet's Night Journey and Ascension, the Battle of Tabuk, and the liberation of Al-Aqsa Mosque from the crusaders at the hands of Salah Ad-Din Al-Ayyubi (538H).

Muslims should derive lessons from this glorious history, so that they may be reunited and seek to liberate Al-Aqsa Mosque from its present brutal occupiers.